Books: Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Vol. 4

Much like a fine wine the Best Gay Erotica series just keeps getting better with each passing year—and this year’s volume is no exception! With M/M erotic stories about dominant men standing tall and powerful over their submissive, to dashing men with looks to kill for, to the rough-and-tumble type who is just asking for you to get down-and-dirty. So, pour yourself a glass and curl up with Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volume 4. Clothing is optional.

Federal Court Orders Prison to Provide Medically Urgent Gender Confirmation Surgery for Idaho Trans Woman

The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho issued a preliminary injunction late yesterday in Edmo v. Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC), ordering the IDOC to provide Adree Edmo, a Native American transgender woman, with medically necessary gender confirmation surgery. IDOC and its for-profit medical provider, Corizon Health, have denied Ms. Edmo surgery for more than four years despite her clear and urgent need for it. Corizon has faced allegations in other states for providing medical care so shoddy that it amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment,” in violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. 
 

A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary legal tool used by the court to prevent irreparable harm while a case is being heard by the court. The court reached its decision to order a preliminary injunction after a three-day evidentiary hearing and extensive briefing. “In refusing to provide surgery, IDOC and Corizon have ignored generally accepted medical standards for the treatment of gender dysphoria,” the court ruled. “This constitutes deliberate indifference to Ms. Edmo’s serious medical needs and violates her rights under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

“I am relieved and grateful that the court validated my right to necessary medical treatment,” said plaintiff Adree Edmo. “Not having the care I need is like being in a prison within a prison. Even though I am still living, it has felt like I have been dying inside.”   

“As the Court recognized, it is a bedrock principle of our legal system that Constitutional protections apply to all individuals, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Senior Staff Attorney Amy Whelan. “Intentionally depriving anyone of the critical medical care they need is unacceptable. Idahoans and every American deserves better.”

“Healthcare providers have known for decades how to provide effective and life-saving medical care to transgender people,” said Lori Rifkin, lead attorney for Ms. Edmo, and a partner at the civil rights law firm, Hadsell Stormer & Renick. “Our laws require the state officials running prisons to provide necessary health treatment to the people in their care. Instead, Corizon and IDOC put Ms. Edmo’s life at risk.”

Today’s preliminary injunction orders the Idaho Department of Correction and Corizon to provide Ms. Edmo with access to medically necessary surgery within six months.

Recently, several other federal courts across the country, including in Missouri and Florida, have ruled that transgender people cannot be denied access to medically necessary care in prison. Today’s issuance of a preliminary injunction by the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho is in accordance with those rulings.

“Since the vast majority of prisoners will eventually return to their communities, everyone should care about this issue,” said Craig Durham of Ferguson Durham PLLC. “No one wins when prisons deny care that not only treats serious medical conditions, but also prevents those conditions from getting much worse.”

Click here to access a copy of the court’s preliminary injunction ruling in this case.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed this lawsuit on behalf of plaintiff Adree Edmo together with Hadsell Stormer and Renick LLP and Ferguson Durham, PLLC.

Merry Christmas from Revry and the Queens of RuPaul's Drag Race

Catch some Ho Ho Ho’s and many Merry Mary’s in the Revry Exclusive “Christmas Queens Sing-Along Concert Special” now for FREE on Revry!
Enjoy your favorite drag stars in this combination of live performances, interviews, music videos and backstage moments from various stops along the sold-out 2016 world tour. Featuring music from the first two holiday albums, the special was filmed live in London and Los Angeles and stars Alaska Thunderf**k, Ginger Minj, Ivy Winters, Jackie Beat, Jiggly Caliente, Katya, Manila Luzon, Phi Phi O’Hara and Sharon Needles, and features Michelle Visage.




""It’s the most wonderful time of the year! What better way to celebrate than donning your gayest apparel and decking the halls with some of dragdom’s merriest Marys?! Christmas Queens is our own little Christmas party that we have been fortunate enough to share with the world. We’re just like any other family. We drink, we eat, we argue, we laugh and we love spending time together. Between movies, tv, music, fashion and touring its so hard for us to find the time to get together, but once a year, no matter what, we don our gayest apparel, sing some songs and just have a good time. That’s what Christmas Queens has become ... our little family’s Christmas Party. And now we get to share the festivities with the rest of the world!," says Ginger Minj.


Beyond the special, three albums of "Christmas Queens” is now available everywhere. The third album includes many “Christmas Queens” alumni as well as new additions, including: Alaska Thunderf**k, Bob The Drag Queen, Ginger Minj, Ivy Winters, Jackie Beat, Jiggly Caliente, Jinkx Monsoon, Katya, Manila Luzon, Michelle Visage, Peppermint, Phi Phi O’Hara, Sharon Needles, Sherry Vine and Thorgy Thor. Both prior “Christmas Queens” albums reached #1 spots on iTunes and #2 on Billboard Comedy Album Charts in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The “Christmas Queens” albums are a co-production between PEG Records and Killingsworth Recording Company.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the Gay Travel Awards Are Here!

The 2018 Gay Travel Awards finalists were revealed today! This year 150 nominees have been selected from across 25 categories. To see the full list of nominees, visit the official web page at www.gaytravelawards.com.

"The Gay Travel Awards support and promote LGBT travel and tourism by identifying and rewarding select organizations which exemplify a spirit of inclusiveness, superb customer service, and hospitality excellence," said Charlie Rounds, Editor of GayTravel.com.
Voting is open through December 24, 2018.

Danica Roem, Jolie Justus Among First Round of 2019 LGBTQ Candidate Endorsements

Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, announced its first round of endorsements for the 2019 election cycle. Kansas City Councilmember Jolie Justus, running for mayor, and Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, running for reelection, both received Spotlight endorsements – given to races considered top priorities for the organization. Nine other LGBTQ candidates received endorsement as well, including Lori Lightfoot for mayor of Chicago and Satya Rhodes-Conway for mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.
 

Justus will become the first openly LGBTQ mayor of a major city in the Heartland if elected. A victory for Lightfoot would make her the first openly LGBTQ mayor of one of the three largest American cities. A win for Roem would make her one of the first trans women ever reelected in the United States.

“While many believe 2019 is an off-election year, at LGBTQ Victory Fund we are gearing up to support dozens of history-making candidates who can greatly impact state and local governments,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “This year we can elect an unprecedented number of LGBTQ mayors and local officials, including the first big city mayor in the Heartland, and secure the reelection of trailblazing candidate Danica Roem. For all the attention paid to the U.S. Congress, it is our state and local officials who have the most impact on the daily lives of their constituents. In 2019, we will work to ensure LGBTQ representation grows in these state and local governments.” 

A complete list of candidate endorsements announced today is below:

Spotlight Candidates:

Jolie Justus, Mayor of Kansas City, MO

Danica Roem (Incumbent), Virginia House of Delegates, District 13

General Candidates:

Maria Hadden, Chicago City Council, Ward 49

Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago

Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor of Madison, WI

Incumbents:

James Cappleman, Chicago City Council, Ward 46

Robin Kniech, Denver City Council, At-Large

Bruce Kraus, Pittsburgh City Council, District 3

Raymond Lopez, Chicago City Council, Ward 15

Deborah Mell, Chicago City Council, Ward 33

Tom Tunney, Chicago City Council, Ward 44

Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.

AJWS supports GLOBE Act to return global US leadership on LGBTI rights

In response to the introduction of the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2018 (GLOBE Act), AJWS Director of Government Affairs Rori Kramer released this statement:

“This bill sets the gold standard for America’s return to global leadership on human rights, including the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community.

In the face of the Trump Administration’s hostility towards LGBTI rights, the bill repeals harmful policies and creates new standards in human rights promotion. With its broad scope, the bill touches all elements of U.S. foreign policy that can be leveraged to promote global equality, including global health programs, foreign assistance, refugee and asylum claims, and leadership in international organizations.

Specifically, the GLOBE Act:
• repeals the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy, also known as the “Global Gag Rule,” which prohibits global health funding for foreign NGOs that provide or advocate for abortion access, even with their own, independently raised, resources.
expedites asylum claims for those fleeing violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or sex characteristics.
• supports some of the core foreign assistance tools that U.S. government uses to support LGBTI human rights groups abroad, including the Global Equality Fund.
• repeals the anti-prostitution loyalty oath, which restricts U.S. HIV funding to service providers abroad that advocate for the decriminalization of sex work.
• ensures that all providers of U.S. funded global health assistance take a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention, including best practices in condom usage, comprehensive sexuality education, and non-discriminatory service delivery.

This month, as we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, we applaud Congresswoman Titus and her colleagues’ brave work demanding a return to a U.S. foreign policy agenda that respects the dignity of vulnerable people at home and abroad.”

This gay widower was denied survivor's benefits. Lambda Legal is suing.

By Peter Renn, Counsel, Lambda Legal

Right now, thanks to your support, Lambda Legal is about to file its third lawsuit this year against the Social Security Administration (SSA) – this time, for denying a 63-year-old gay widower survivor’s benefits after he lost his husband to cancer.

Anthony Gonzales met his late husband Mark in 1998, and just a few months later, they moved in together. Over the next 15 years, the couple joined their finances, named each other as beneficiaries, and cared for one another when sick. They were in a committed, loving relationship.

And if they were a straight couple, they could have been legally married from the start.

However, because Anthony and Mark were a same-sex couple, they had to wait until August 27, 2013 – when a court struck down their state’s marriage ban – to finally marry each other.

Unfortunately, six months later, Mark passed away.

Anthony and Mark married the first day they could – but now the government is telling them that their marriage wasn’t long enough. The Social Security Administration is holding critical survivor’s benefits hostage because of a nine-month marriage requirement that many LGBTQ couples cannot meet due to unconstitutional marriage bans.

GIVE NOW TO DEFEND OUR MARRIAGES

Anthony and Mark worked for years in their community, in a local nonprofit and as an elementary school teacher, respectively. Anthony is entitled to receive the Social Security survivor’s benefits to which he and Mark contributed with every paycheck and that other surviving spouses receive. These funds are especially critical to his day-to-day livelihood in his retirement years.

Past discrimination cannot justify present discrimination, and today we’re taking that fight to New Mexico on behalf of Anthony and Mark’s faithful love for one another. Drew, please give now to help us continue defending our marriages in every state. Thank you for standing up for Anthony and Mark, and all our relationships.

Denver Limo, Inc.: The Hottest Limos at the Lowest Prices!

Denver Limo, Inc. is the leader in ground transportation in Denver, Colorado. Providing limousine service in Colorado for over 17 years, Denver Limo, Inc. has the hottest limousines, SUV limos, and Party Buses in the state - and they're currently available at the lowest prices of the year! 

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

The Queens of RuPaul's Drag Race Cover Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'

 

Dolly Parton's legendary "Jolene" is covered by some of your favorite queens from RuPaul's Drag Race, serving iconic Dolly looks. 

"Jolene, I'm begging of you please don't take my man!"

Dolly recently released Dumplin' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Featuring exceptional guests including Sia, Elle King, Mavis Staples, Miranda Lambert, Willa Amai, Rhonda Vincent, Alison Krauss, Macy Gray, and DOROTHY, as well as cameos by Dumplin’ stars Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston, the project was produced by Grammy nominee Linda Perry.

Pride Journey: Oklahoma City

By Joey Amato

To say I fell in love with Oklahoma City would be an understatement. I thoroughly enjoy visiting lesser known cities around the country as you go in with little expectations or preconceived notions. I had visited OKC very briefly a few years ago, but never spent a substantial amount of time there. 

I quickly took note of the city’s evolution and progression over the past decade. Modern structures are popping up throughout the city, juxtaposed next to historic buildings that give a nod to the Oklahoma City’s past. 

This trip was actually quite special as it was the first time the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors bureau (Visit OKC) organized an LGBT specific media trip. The 21c Museum Hotel served as our host hotel for the stay and it couldn’t have been any more perfect. The rooms featured king-sized beds with two separate seating areas and a shower all 5 of us journalists could have fit in. No, that didn’t happen on this trip. 

During our stay, the hotel was exhibiting an extraordinary pop culture series of artwork designed as if they knew the gays were coming to visit. I’m not sure how many Instagram photos we took throughout the hotel, but it’s safe to say, the number is in the dozens. 

Even the hotel restaurant, Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge was incredible. Aside from breakfast, which was inexpensive and delicious, I ordered the Brussel Sprouts from the bar menu for a snack one afternoon and they were the best I’ve ever had. I’m not sure how they made them, but to quote Guy Fieri, they were out of bounds! 

We began our Oklahoma City adventure in the Boathouse District at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site for a once-in-a-lifetime experience training and rowing with Olympic hopefuls. Before we jumped into the river, we were given a crash course on rowing. I was so confident going in to this experience. I assumed I was an expert rower as I used the rowing machine at the gym many times. I was quickly proven otherwise. My form was completely off, and I rushed to correct it before heading out to the river.

'All Stars 4' Kicks off this Friday!

Following the record-breaking tenth season, which earned the show an Emmy award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program, RuPaul's Drag Race is bringing back the fiercest queens in Drag Race herstory to compete for a spot in the "Drag Race" Hall of Fame.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4, premieres this Friday, December 14 at 8:00pm

Go Behind the Scenes of 'Honey' with Robyn

 

Robyn released the behind-the-scenes look for the new video, “Honey.” The video takes you through the various set ups for the Max Vitali directed “Honey” video. In case you missed it, watch the original video for “Honey” HERE.

RiNo celebrates area's past with new historic signage

The RiNo Art District, in partnership with Historic Denver, is commemorating the history of North Denver with new historic interpretive signage in the district. In total, 36 signs will be installed along Brighton Blvd, Chestnut Pl, Arkins Ct, Delgany St, and Walnut St. These signs will list the historic street name, neighborhood or area name, and will include a historic map graphic. The signage was designed by Inherent Character in collaboration with the RiNo Art District.
 

“Each medallion displays a historic street name and current neighborhood along with various pre-20th century maps that illustrate the former streets and grid,” said Kelan Smith with Inherent Character. “Some former street names are descriptive of a story or a place from the past that is no longer there while other streets were re-named deliberately to differentiate the area from Lower Downtown.”

“The historic neighborhoods that the River North Art District occupies are the foundation of what we are today,” said Chandler Romeo, RiNo Art District Co-Chair. “The spirit of the Historic Signage program is to raise awareness of these historic neighborhoods — Elyria-Swansea, Globeville, Five Points and Cole.” 

The project was funded in part by Historic Denver as part of its Action Fund, “a program designed to support innovative community projects that enhance and celebrate the city’s identity, character, and heritage,” said Shannon Stage, Historic Denver’s Preservation Coordinator. The signs will be permanently affixed throughout the RiNo Art District as a means to further educate on the area’s history.

“We wanted to take the opportunity to help visitors and residents alike understand the dynamic past of the area,” said RiNo Art District President and Co-Founder, Tracy Weil. “I hope that people use this as a jumping off point to learn more about their city and its vibrant history.”

Each sign will be installed in prominent pedestrian zones to increase cognizance of the history behind the once industrial hub as well as celebrate the four historic neighborhoods within the RiNo Art District boundaries. The signs were designed by RiNo Art District and Inherent Character and are being installed throughout the month of November.

“It's important to respect and remember our past as we move forward as a district,” said RiNo Art District President, Tracy Weil. “This interpretive program in collaboration with Historic Denver honors those who came before us and will serve as a reminder of how we got here.”